All you need to know about the Professional League: little rest, open market and the return of relegation

Just 12 days after the consecration of Boca as champion of the Professional League Cup, against Tigre in Córdoba on 22 May, this Friday, June 3, with the match between Barracas Central and Central Córdoba de Santiago del Estero, the Professional League Tournament kicks off. Almost non-stop, with few innovations, with squad changes that will take place for almost two months and, finally, with the completion of two relegations after three and a half years, this new championship will have its particularities, so similar and so different from the previous ones. .

As has happened since 2015, when 10 teams moved up to the First Division until they reached the number of 30the traditional First Division tournament will be played in a single round, all against all, due to the high number of participants and the lack of dates to play the two traditional rounds.

The first round will be played between this Friday 3 and Monday 6 and will end on October 23, almost a month before the World Cup. It will be medium to long and with a very tight schedule. There will be 27 dates in just 143 days. Seven days less than last year’s championship, which had 25 dates. For this reason, in the first four months there will be an appointment during the week, while in October there will be two more. In all, you are.

At this point it can be assumed that we are facing the worst organization of a tournament, non-stop, with alteration of the calendars, in this case due to the World Cup in Qatar which will begin in November. Almost. There have been some national tournaments that started just a week after meter, such as that of 1978 and that of 1980; and others that the National finals were played while the Metropolitan was starting, as in 1984 (champion of Ferro) and in 1985 (Argentini).

The market will be another exotic condiment. For instance, a player will be able to play the first five or six dates for one club and from the seventh for another. Or emigrate abroad. Or sign up from July. All because the subscription book will close on July 7, already played six dates. Also, if a club sells a player overseas, they have until 8 August to add a new reinforcement. 12 of the 27 dates will have already been played.

Of course, the 1949 tournament, which had the market open throughout the first round and then another opening before the end, will never be over. That’s why Isaac Scliar played that same year in Vélez, Boca and Tigre. But it will register with contemporary fans, especially clubs that are already in the second round of Libertadores and Sudamericana, if they lose key pieces. Indeed, Julián Alvarez de River will go to Manchester City after this instance. The 1985 restructuring promoted by Julio Grondona, when the Primera tournament began to take place seasonally (from August to May), was precisely to avoid the bleeding of the figures in full competition. It is worth remembering.

What has no uncertainties is the prize. After 27 dates there will be a champion, who will inherit the throne of the river from last year and who will qualify for the Copa Libertadores 2023. In addition, there will be an annual table, summing the points of the Professional Football League Cup and Tournament and the top three, except for the Cup, Tournament and Argentina Cup champions, will also play the Libertadores 2023. , the next six will go to South American 2023.

The descents will be two and not four as expected before the coronavirus pandemic and there was the Argentine soccer Super League. The bottom two in the middleweight rankings are Godoy Cruz and Patronato. With 28 teams in the First Division, the drop (four go down and two go up) would only happen from next year. The potential is because, it is known, the last word is never said by the organization AFA-LPF.

Another certainty is that the Cup champion (Boca) will play against the Tournament champion Champions Trophy. If Xeneize repeats, the rival will come out of a playoff match between the two runners-up (Tiger and another). If the Matador is second, Boca and Tigre will meet again.

To date, there have been 18 incorporations. Platense is the one that made the most noise on the market, with five, including the former Vélez and Boca Mauro Zarate. However, the first bombshell was the announcement of an agreement in principle between Vélez and the Uruguayan Diego Godin36 years old, from Atlético Mineiro.

Meanwhile, 55 victims have already been registered, most of them for freedom of action. The most important sales for now, besides Julián Alvarez’s to Manchester City, are those of Miguel Merentiel from Defense to Palmeiras and from Kevin Lomónaco from Lanús to Bragantino. In addition to four retreats: Darío Cvitanich, Marco Ruben, Patricio Toranzo and Jorge Ortiz. Diego Valeri joins?

There have also been some movements in the technical market. Martín Palermo has left Aldosivi and has no replacement yet. Diego Dabove left Banfield and joined Huracán, following the departure of Frank Kudelka. Claudio Vivas is the new exercise coach. Pedro Troglio left San Lorenzo and Ruben Darío Insua arrived. And in Vélez, after Julio Vaccari’s good internship, the Uruguayan Alexander Medina took over. As always, on the first dates and with the specter of relegation looming, there will be news.

The “product” is already in place and the illusions are renewed. In October, one of the 28 teams will celebrate in style.